Taijul Islam 'Fully Prepared' For Bangladesh Test Captaincy

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam said that he is prepared to take the Test captaincy role after playing international cricket for a decade amid uncertainty over Najmul Hossain Shanto's leadership future. Currently, Shanto leads Bangladesh across formats and is likely to leave his role after the ongoing home Test series against South Africa. Shanto has informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board of his decision to step down and is awaiting approval from board president Faruque Ahmed, who is currently abroad and expected to return soon.

Asked about Shanto's decision, the spinner said he is unaware of the development but pitched himself as his successor in the red-ball format.

"I haven't heard anything on this matter (regarding Najmul quitting from captaincy). It's not part of our role, I'm not fully informed on this," Taijul told reporters at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Monday.

"Having played for 10 years, I'm fully prepared (for captaincy).

"This is a team game. The most important thing is that the team remains in good condition. Some players may be affected by outside events, while others can continue their role with calmness," he added.

Taijul explained how he keeps himself away from outside noise and focuses on his task. "Personally, I try to stay relaxed and focus on my work. But within a team, I can't say how each person reacts; everyone's mindset is different. We're not involved in management or board meetings," he said.

With the second Test against South Africa beginning on Tuesday, Taijul stressed on winning the match to level the series 1-1 after the visitors won the opening match by seven wickets.

"Our goal remains the same: we'll play to win. As for the match conditions, we'll understand them once